KALAMAZOO, MI — Portage Northern’s Tommy Henry and his father exchange a hug at the conclusion of each of Henry’s baseball games.

With only two more years left at Portage Northern, the duo’s tradition seemed it would have to come to an end once Henry went to college.

That won’t necessarily be the case, as Henry committed the University of Michigan Tuesday night. The commitment fulfills Henry’s dream of playing college baseball while allowing him to stay relatively close to his family.

“I got chills when I got my offer and when I made my commitment,” Henry said. “It’s so surreal to me and it’s very exciting.

“(My family will) still be bugging me, but that’s a good thing.”

Henry already had offers from Western Michigan, Duke and Cincinnati, but after receiving the offer from Michigan about a week ago, Henry said it was an easy choice to commit to the Wolverines.

Playing in Ann Arbor allows him the opportunity to play for a top-level program with outstanding academics.

“I fell in love with the coaching staff at Michigan and they’re great guys and you can definitely see yourself progressing and having fun with them,” Henry said. “Also, the academic standards at Michigan were very important to me because a degree takes you after baseball whenever baseball ends, and it ends for everyone.”

If Henry continues to perform at the level he did during his sophomore season, Portage Northern coach Chris Andrews believes the Class of 2016 left-handed pitcher has a promising future in baseball.

In his sophomore season at Portage Northern, Henry batted .393 with 17 RBI and 34 runs scored. On the mound, Henry compiled a 6-1 record with 77 strikeouts and a .896 ERA. Henry also played in the field and was named to the 2014 Kalamazoo Gazette Baseball Dream Team as an outfielder.

“The first thing about him is that he has such a good head on his shoulders,” Andrews said. “He’s such a smart kid and a student of the game.”

Andrews described Henry as a fundamentally and technically sound player with an exceptionally high ceiling.

Despite having two more years of high school baseball left, Andrews said Henry already shows all the signs of a player capable of playing at the Division I level and possibly being drafted.

Because of his young age, Henry’s body is still developing and Andrews believes as Henry gets stronger, he will add some velocity on the mound and power at the plate.

“I’m excited I have two years left to work with him,” Andrews said. “It’s crazy, but I haven’t come across a player his age that is already developed as he is.

“You look and just say ‘wow.’”

With the commitment to Michigan, Henry said he is relieved and now looking forward to his final two years at Portage Northern.

Last year, Portage Northern compiled at 27-14 record, and Howell bounced the Huskies from the playoffs, 4-2, in the Division 1 regional semifinals.

“To find a place like Michigan and be able to commit there really takes that weight off your shoulders and you can get back to the game of baseball and have fun,” Henry said. “I’m very excited for the high school season and trying to win a state championship with those guys.

“That’s the ultimate goal and being able to only focus on that will be great.”

One of Henry’s teammates, Class of 2015 pitcher Ben Keizer, is also committed to Michigan.

Andrews admitted having two left-handed pitchers set to play for the Wolverines is a nice problem to have and Henry said he’s excited to play with Keizer in the future.

“It just worked out that we’re both going to end up there,” Henry said. “I’ve grown up playing baseball with (Ben) and it’s even more exciting to know that we will be able to play Division 1 baseball together and live the dream together.”

Email Justin Dacey at jdacey@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter: @JustinDacey.